Chapter 22 Psychiatric Emergencies Flashcards
Activities of daily living
The basic activities a person usually accomplishes during a normal day, such as eating, dressing, and bathing
Altered mental status
A change in the way a person thinks and behaves that may signal disease in the central nervous system or elsewhere in the body
Behavior
How a person functions or acts in response to his or her environment
Behavioral crisis
The point at which a person’s reactions to events interfere with activities of daily living; this becomes a psychiatric emergency when it causes a major life interruption, such as attempted suicide
Depression
A persistent mood of sadness, despair, and discouragement; may be a symptom of many different mental and physical disorders, or it may be a disorder on its own
Excited delirium
A serious behavioral condition in which a person exhibits agitated behavior combined with disorientation, hallucinations, or delusions; also called agitated delirium or exhaustive mania
Functional disorder
A disorder in which there is no known physiological reason for the abnormal functioning of an organ or organ system
Organic brain syndrome
Temporary or permanent dysfunction of the brain, caused by a disturbance in the physical or physiologic functioning of the brain tissue
Positional asphyxia
Restriction of chest wall movements and/or airway obstruction; can rapidly lead to sudden-death
Posttraumatic stress disorder
A delayed the stress reaction that develops after a horrifying ordeal that involve the physical harm or the threat of physical harm
Psychiatric disorder
And illness with psychological or behavioral symptoms and/or impairment in functioning caused by a social, psychological, genetic, physical, chemical, or biologic disturbance
Psychiatric emergency
And emergency in which abnormal behavior threatens a person’s own health and safety or the health and safety of another person, for example when a person becomes suicidal, homicidal, or has a psychotic episode
Psychosis
A mental disorder characterized by the loss of contact with reality
Schizophrenia
A complex, difficult to identify mental disorder who’s onset typically occurs during early adulthood. Symptoms typically become more prominent overtime and include delusions, hallucinations, a lack of interest in pleasure, and erratic speech